The present invention relates to semiconductor packaging in general and more specifically to a brace for a wire bond.
Wire bonding typically involves connecting a bond pad on an integrated circuit (IC) die to a lead finger of a lead frame with a bonding wire. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional wire bond 10 is shown in which a wire 12 has one end attached to a bond pad 14 of an integrated circuit with a ball bond and a second end attached to a lead finger 16 of a lead frame (or to a connection pad of a substrate) with a stitch bond.
As is known by those of skill in the art, the wire 12, and particularly the stitch bond, is susceptible to damage, cracking, or breaking when impacted by outside forces, such as a mold compound during an encapsulation process. This problem is even more acute for shorter or thinner wires.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a wire bond that is secure and not readily be damaged by outside forces.